Thursday, December 09, 2004

The Swan Hunters

Presumably while no one was looking, Maryland environmental officials got U.S. Representative Wayne Gilchrest to remove a major barrier to mute swan (Cygnus olor) control in that state. As reported by WJZ News, Gilchrest "slipped" language into a bill that keeps the swans from being protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Then the "Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act of 2004" managed to make its way into the omnibus spending bill that recently passed the House. WJZ also links to a video version of the story.